


Help Me

by Pansychic27213



Series: Fanfic Transfers (2015 Edition) [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Danny gets injured immediately, Danny is a smol bean, Danny is a tired baby; let him rest, Danny kinda has a panic attack?, Fatherly Vlad Masters, Gen, Good Vlad?, Hurt/Comfort, I want them to have a really nice relationship, Light Angst, Like mafia bad guys, Morally Grey Vlad, Old fanfic transfer from Fanfiction.net, Protective Vlad Masters, Sam and Tucker are protective too I guess, Skulker is a bad guy for some reason, The OCs are bad guys, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Why is this so dramatic?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-20 21:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18132650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pansychic27213/pseuds/Pansychic27213
Summary: Danny is injured in a fight with Skulker, and Vlad offers to drive him home. Things are never that simple, what with Danny's rapidly mounting stress and the driver not being who he seems...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally Published: 01/17/2015

**Help Me**

-{[(-)]}-

Hi! My name is Danny Fenton. Lets see, I'm fifteen. I go to Casper High. I live in the very haunted town of Amity Park. What else? Oh yeah! I have an alternate ego that has super powers and fights ghosts.

It was 11:03pm, an hour after my curfew. I had just gone on ghost patrol and bumped into the box ghost. It took me a while to finally get him into the Fenton Thermos. Then I had to rush home or my parents were going to kill me!

I switched back to my human half in an alley near my house. I quickly jogged down the street and up the front steps to the front door of Fenton Works, my house. I opened the door to find the lights off.

I expected my parents to be waiting in the darkness, so I prepared myself when I opened the door all the way. No lights turned on. No one was there. No parents were hiding to scold me; there was just darkness.

I sighed and closed the door behind me. My parents had stopped waiting for me a while ago. They were tired of waiting and scolding me. They had gone to bed, and I knew that they weren't going to talk to me in the morning.

I was saddened by this thought. My parents had stopped caring anymore. They had stopped needing to punish me anymore. It actually made me feel better when they lectured me, because I knew that it meant they cared. No one was here to give me that comforting lecture, so therefore they must not care anymore.

I quietly trudged up the stairs to my room. I opened the door and was ultimately shocked by what I saw. Sitting next to my bed, was my mom. She had folded her arms on my bed and rested her head there, waiting for me.

I silently closed the door behind me. Then I snuck across my room and changed into my pajamas. Now came the most difficult part of all, I had to figure out some way to move my mom into her room without waking her.

I realized that if I picked her up and started to carry her, she would most likely wake up and ask me about how I was able to lift her despite me being so small. I decided that gently waking her and walking with her to her room was probably my best option.

I strolled calmly to my mother's sleeping body and hesitated. She had waited for me in my room. She probably wouldn't want to leave so soon, and she did look like she was sleeping rather peacefully...

I gently wiggled my blanket from underneath her head and wrapped it around her. Then I moved my pillow under her arms. After making her comfortable, I worked my way onto my bed.

I was cold without my blanket and uncomfortable without my pillow, but at least my mom was sleeping nicely. As I started to fall asleep, my mom abruptly reached out and pulled me into a hug.

"Danny," she started. "Where were you? I was starting to get worried! I mean, you usually come home past curfew, but you took too long this time!"

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again," I sighed happily. She had no idea how happy it made me feel for her to be hugging me and telling me that she was worried. She pulled back from our warm hug, making me cold again.

"You're right! It won't! You are grounded Mister! I am getting more than enough phone calls about you being late to class and so on!" She cried more angrily. Then her face softened and she gently stroked my hair.

"Why Danny? You're so smart and capable! You could have very nice grades and no tardies if you put some more effort into it. Your teachers say that you fall asleep during class... Are you having trouble sleeping, Daniel?" She asked quietly. I sighed. She only called me by my full name if I was really in trouble or she was really worried.

"No Mom. I don't have trouble sleeping. I'm just very tired," I lied. Of course I have trouble sleeping! I spend most of the night fighting ghosts!

"Danny," she warned. She narrowed her eyes and stared at me intently. She knew that I was lying, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

"Mom," I replied in the same tone. She sighed and leaned back. She could tell that I was going to be stubborn and not tell her what was going on.

I wanted to tell her about my ghost half, really, but every time Danny Phantom was brought up around my parents, they started discussing all the ways they were going to tear him apart molecule by molecule. I was afraid that they wouldn't accept my ghost half, or that they would think it was some silly lie to protect him. My parents are ghost hunters! Their main belief is that all ghosts are evil forms of ectoplasm and post-human consciousness!

"Danny, why won't you just...tell me? We used to be so close," she whispered. She didn't mean for me to hear her, but my ghost half enhanced my senses.

I heard what she said and I wanted to cry. I wanted to break down right then and there and tell her everything. I wanted to tell her all of my stories and adventures and about all of my strange, mysterious scars and bruises that I came home with every day.

"Mom," I whimpered. I wanted to do all of those things, but even if my parents did accept me for my ghost half, I would still be putting them at risk with all of my ghostly enemies.

"Goodnight Daniel," she said firmly. She stood up.

"Night mom," I replied sadly. She exited the room, leaving me sitting on my bed. A single tear came to my eye and I quickly wiped it away. What was I?! Some little emotional girl?!

I flopped down on my bed and listened to my mom's footsteps. They walked down the hall to her and my dad's bedroom. There she paused. She turned around and walked back to my door. She paused again and I heard faint crying. Then she walked back down the hall and into her room.

"Oh mom. I wish I could tell you," I sighed to myself. I moved my pillow under my head and pulled my blanket around me. Then I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

At about 3:30am, my ghost sense went off, jerking me awake. My eyelids shot open. I quickly climbed out of bed and raced to my window.

"I'm going ghost!" I whispered. The familiar white ring appeared around my waist. It spilt in two; one ring traveled up my body to my head and the other went down to my feet, transforming me into my ghost half.

I couldn't help but glance towards my mirror on the wall. My usual raven black hair had changed to a chilling snowy white. My (handsome) blue eyes had switched to my ghostly, neon green ones. My pajamas had become my black and white HAZMAT suit. I was now Danny Phantom.

I phased through the window and out into the chilly night air. I swiftly flew through Amity Park until I came to the literal park. I looked around cautiously for the ghost. I couldn't see one. Then an ecto-blast hit me from behind.

I tumbled forwards through the air. I quickly readjusted my flying and turned around to face the ghost. Skulker was floating there with his mischievous, creepy smile plastered onto his face.

"Since you don't seem to have time for me during the day anymore, I figured that I would finally get your pelt during the night!" He cried. I huffed in annoyance.

"Can't you guys ever, you know, let me sleep? I mean, I know that you can't sleep, but why does that mean I can't?" I practically whined. Skulker's face fell for a moment, and he looked like he had never considered this before. His evil smile soon returned and he aimed his guns at me.

I rolled my eyes and got into a fighting stance. Then the battle began.

Skulker shot at me. I dodged his missiles and punched him. He kicked me in the head and fired at me with his new machine gun. I turned intangible and the bullets passed harmlessly through me.

Then he pulled out some sort of rifle. He aimed at me and fired it, just like all the other weapons, but this one was different. It shot out a single dart.

I started to dodge it, but it followed me and hit me in the shoulder. I winced and pulled it out. Suddenly, the rings formed around my waist and changed me back to my human half.

"No!" I yelped. I fell straight down, into the woods on the outskirts of the park. I tumbled through a tree and landed flat on my back on the ground.

I lay there as quietly as I could. Slowly, pain began to engulf my whole body. I whimpered just a little. The pain was worst in my legs. I chanced a glanced down at them and realized that I had landed on a flat rock.

I pulled my phone out of pocket very carefully. "Help!" I texted to Sam and Tucker. Then I slid the phone back into my pocket. That's when I fell unconscious.

"Daniel! Daniel!" A familiar voice rang out. I slowly woke up and cracked open my eyes. Most of the previous pain from before was gone, but my legs felt even worse. I looked up at who was calling my name.

Vlad was standing over me. Let me rephrase that. My arch nemesis was standing over me. I noticed that he was standing near my feet, and a tree was near my head. I quickly sat up and pressed myself against the tree, but I didn't take my eyes off of Vlad.

"Really Daniel?" He asked, giving me a taunting look. I silently tried to go ghost, but the rings didn't even appear.

"Here, let me give you a ride home," he offered. He sounded concerned, but he is a very good liar and I most certainly do not trust him.

"First of all, I can't get up," I told him, trying to find an excuse to not have to go with him.

"Then I'll carry you," he countered. My eyes widened in horror. If he carried me, he would probably use it as blackmail or tell the other ghosts! I couldn't let him do that!

"What?! No! I don't want you to carry me! Second of all, there's no way I would ever willingly get into your limo or car or whatever the heck you drive!" I cried. He laughed and walked to my side.

"Daniel, let me help you," he said softly. His eyebrows furrowed together in concern. He seemed genuinely willing to help me.

"I...I...fine!" I replied. I huffed and crossed my arms. "But we are never telling anyone about this!" At that, he laughed again.

"Okay. I won't tell if you don't!" He smiled. He slid one hand under my knees and the other under my back. Then he started to lift me.

"Vlad, you're hurting me," I tried to explain. My back was still very sore and my legs were still in pain. His touching them didn't make them feel any better. It made them feel worse. Vlad just kept carrying me in the same way.

"Vlad, you're really hurting me!" I yelped. I clenched my fists as he took another step. Every step he took felt like a bullet shooting through my back.

"Seriously! Vlad! You're hurting me! This is causing me pain! Stop!" I finally yelled. He lowered and gently laid me on the ground.

"Well, how am I supposed to carry you then?" He asked irritably. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know!" I answered. His face suddenly lit up as though he had an idea. He picked me up by my waist and threw me over his shoulder. I gasped for air as my chest hit his hard shoulder.

"Vlad! Stop! Put me down!" I yelled. He arms held firmly around my knees, stopping me from kicking him. I hit him as hard as I could on his back and the back of his head.

"Without your powers, that really just tickles," Vlad teased. I growled and slapped his head.

"The other way was better! I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with it," I sighed. He switched me back to my previous carrying position. It hurt less, but that didn't stop the pain.


	2. Chapter 2

**Vlad's POV**

After dealing with Skulker, I landed on the woods floor. I was slightly surprised to see Daniel laying there unconscious. His body was sprawled out in such a way, that it could not possibly have been comfortable. I walked around to his feet and leaned over him.

"Daniel! Daniel!" I called in an attempt to wake him. I was considering lightly kicking him, but his eyelids soon fluttered open. He looked up at me groggily. Suddenly he became wide awake. He shot backwards and pressed himself against a tree.

"Really Daniel?" I asked. As if scooting against a tree would protect him from any enemy. "Here, let me give you a ride home," I offered. His house was at least a few blocks away, and it would give me some time to chat with him.

"First of all, I can get up," he started. He couldn't get up? What was that supposed to mean? I shrugged it off as a lame excuse to not come with me.

"Then I'll carry you," I retorted. If it was a lie, he should have taken it back what he said or made some sign of it having been a lie.

"What?! No! I don't want you to carry me! Second of all, there's no way I would ever willingly get into your limo or car or whatever the heck you drive!" He cried. I decided to take a different approach.

Taunting, playful arch nemesis was getting me no where fast. If I was really honest with myself, I didn't just want a chat with the boy. I wanted to make sure he was home safely. Despite what most might think, I actually having feelings like compassion.

I crouched down next to him, careful not to get my suit dirty, and softly said, "Daniel, let me help you." His mouth opened and his eyes widened.

"I...I...Fine!" He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "But we are not telling anyone about this!"

"I won't tell if you don't!" I laughed playfully. I tried to pick him up as gently as I could. I slid my hands under his knees and back. Then I carefully lifted him from the ground. I must say, he was a bit lighter than I expected him to be. Was he even getting full meals anymore? Of did he just fight ghosts all the time?

I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I barely noticed Daniel quietly say,"Vlad, you're hurting me." I kept walking, unaware of the unfortunate pain I was supposedly causing him. "Vlad, you're hurting me," he said a bit louder.

I considered this. How could me carrying him like this possibly hurt him? I knew that something had apparently happened to his legs, but could it actually be so bad that my touching him was causing him pain? Or was he injured in other places that I was hurting?

"Seriously! Vlad! You're hurting me! This is causing me pain! Stop!" He eventually yelled. I bent my knees and gently placed him on the ground.

"Well, how am I supposed to carry you then?" I asked. I stared down at his tiny shape. He really was thin for a boy his age. Seriously, what did he ever eat?

"I don't know!" He gave an exasperated answer. I thought of all the other ways that I could possibly carry him. There weren't too many options and none of them were better. I was just going to have to show him that the first way had been the best. The crueler arch nemesis part of me came out and decided to be playfully mean to the boy.

I grabbed him by his waist and flung him over my shoulder. Then I started walking. I heard him give a somewhat startled and breathless gasp from behind me. I felt a slight pang of guilt, but I needed to prove that the other way was better. I'm not honestly sure why, though.

"Vlad! Stop! Put me down!" he yelled at me. I could feel his legs wiggle just the tiniest bit underneath my arm, as though he were trying to kick me, but his legs weren't working. He pounded his fists against my back and tried to slap the back of my head. Something was amiss. He was weak, as though he didn't have his powers.

"Without your powers that really just tickles," I teased, trying to get him to reveal what was going on. He just growled and slapped the back of my head again.

"The other way was better! I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with it," he sighed. I gladly switched him back to the way it had been before. I was the teensiest bit sorry that he was in pain, but I tried to think of other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What's your favorite kind of candy? Do you like more creamy stuffs like chocolate, or do you like gummies? What about sour or spicy?


	3. Chapter 3

**Danny's POV**

Eventually, we made it to his limo. The driver was there, waiting for him. He pulled open the door and Vlad slid me into the back seat. Then he climbed in and sat down across from me. The driver closed the door and crawled into the driver's seat. Then we started to drive away.

"Where to, Sir?" The driver asked. Vlad thought for a moment. He looked at me.

"Fenton Works," he replied unhappily. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Sir," the driver responded. He kept driving and the limo was silent.

"Daniel, you need to keep in mind safety first! Put on your seat belt!" Vlad commanded. I huffed and buckled my seat belt. Vlad leaned back against the seat and seemed more contented and at ease.

"So how's the family?" He asked casual. He asked it as though he hadn't already been spying on us for months.

"Oh. They're good," I replied. Of course, he already knew that. So he just nodded.

"How are you?" He questioned much more seriously.

"I'm okay. I've been better," I joked. We both laughed, but not because it was funny. We laughed one of those awkward laughs that's just there to fill the space.

"Had any exciting discoveries recently?" Vlad asked. What kind of a question was that? What "exciting discoveries" could I possibly discover?

"No?" I tried. I had absolutely no idea what he meant. Suddenly, I realized. The dart the Skulker had hit me with had taken away my powers.

"What happened to Skulker?" I asked. Vlad tensed and straightened up.

"I...I fought him off. He didn't really want to fight if you couldn't fight anymore," he responded. He never stuttered or faltered, especially when lying.

"You're lying," I pointed out. He rolled his eyes.

"Really? What else is new, Daniel?" He replied sarcastically. He wasn't planning on giving me any answers, I could tell. I sighed. I looked out the window just in time to see us passing Fenton Works.

"Hey! We're passing my house!" I yelled at the driver. Vlad just laughed.

"Driver, Please turn around. You passed the boy's home," Vlad called. He was smiling. It kind of creeped me out.

"Sorry, we're low on gas, Sir. If we go back now, we will be out of fuel," the driver explained. Vlad's smile disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but if we drop you off now, I'll be forced to stay at your house. I'm sure that your father will want me to stay," Vlad hinted mischievously.

"No!" I yelped quickly. Vlad smiled and leaned back in his seat. Then his smile disappeared again.

"Driver, why are we out of gas? Didn't you fill the tank before we left?" He questioned the driver.

"Yes, Sir," the driver gulped. Vlad turned around to look at him.

"So we shouldn't be out of gas. Stop this car immediately!" He demanded. I gulped. Something wasn't right.

"Sorry, but I can't do that, Sir," the driver replied less nervously and much more seriously. He pressed a button and a screen appeared between the driver and the passenger seats.

"Oh butter biscuits!" Vlad cried.

"What?" I asked. Vlad's head snapped in my direction. His eyes widened and his the corners of his mouth formed a deep frown.

"For a moment I forgot you were there," he murmured. I blinked, waiting for him to answer my question. "Oh, well you see, this car is ghost proofed." I got what he was implying. We had no way out. Wherever this driver was taking us, is where we would go.

"So what's the plan?" I asked. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Daniel, you can't walk. We can't phase out of here. There is no plan," he finally answered.

"What do you mean? There has to be a plan!" I argued.

"Daniel, be quiet. We will figure all of this out later," Vlad declared. At least that was kind of a plan.

"Wait! I have to be in my house tomorrow morning! I got grounded!" I cried. I whipped around and tried to see my house.

"Daniel, there's no way we can possibly get you to your house in time," he replied. I didn't have to turn around to know that he rolled his eyes.

"They'll think I ran away..." I whispered. What would my parents think of me? What would they do when I returned? What would they do if I didn't return?!

Would they think I was a horrible son? Would they be worried? Would they look for me? Would they renounce me? WHAT WOULD THEY DO?!

As I thought these many questions, I began to hyperventilate. Vlad immediately looked concerned and tried to calm me down.

"Daniel! Daniel, look at me! Look at me!" He demanded. He grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look into his eyes, but that only made me think more.

What would happen to us? Where was this driver taking us? Would we die? Would everyone search for us only to find our dead bodies? Would we be tortured to death? Who would be the first to go, me or Vlad?

My hyperventilating got worse. I clutched my chest, grasping for air. My eyes darted around the small area, searching for any possible escape or answers.

Without me, what would happen to Amity Park? Would ghosts overrun the town? What would happen to Sam and Tucker? All the ghosts knew their faces!

"Daniel!" Vlad cried. He slapped me, but I couldn't stop. I was freaking out.

What would happen to my parents? What would happen to Jazz? What about Valerie? What about Paulina and Dash, Kwan and the other A-listers? What would happen to and the principal? What would happen to Sam and Tucker's parents? What would happen to everyone?!

"Daniel! You have to calm down!" Vlad screeched. He grabbed my face and looked deep into my eyes. I knew that I looked panicked and afraid, but his eyes were strange to me. They were filled with worry, concern and compassion, things I thought I would never see from Vlad. It still didn't make me calm down.

I tried to imagine what would happen to us. Then I imagined my family. Next I pictured my poor friends and their most likely unpleasant demise. After that, I imagined the whole town and then the world. Everyone was going to die and it was all my fault.

I wouldn't be there to save anyone. I wouldn't be able to protect all the people whom I had promised. I would never get my first real kiss with Sam. Tucker would never get a girlfriend. My parents would never understand me or how sorry I was for all the things that had made them worry. Jazz would never go to college.

"Daniel!" Vlad's whimpered. His voice sounded distant and far away. I wasn't breathing properly or getting enough oxygen to my brain. I was slowly starting to go unconscious, but Vlad startled me. He woke me up by pulling me into a tight hug.

"Danny, everything will be okay. I promise," he whispered into my ear. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started to cry.

I had been beaten up in so many fights. I had been tortured relentlessly by even my parents. I had always fought so strongly against Vlad, and now here he was, hugging me and comforting me.

"I'm so sorry!" I sobbed into his chest. "I'm so sorry for all the times we fought! I'm so sorry for hurting you all those times! It hurts! It hurts so badly, Vlad! I can't feel my legs. My back is sore. My heart aches because no one understands me! My parents want to dissect me! It hurts in so many ways!" I cried. I felt like a wimp for pouring my heart out and crying in front of my worst enemy, but he just sat there and listened.

"It's okay, Daniel. Go ahead. Tell me how you feel. You've been holding it in too long. You need to let it out," he prodded. He rubbed my back and I just sobbed into his chest. He sat down next to me and we kept hugging. Eventually, I stopped crying. I was so embarrassed.

"Can we not tell anyone about this?" I asked shyly. I leaned away from him for a moment to look into his eyes. His chest was soaked, but he didn't seem to even notice.

"Sure," he smiled warmly. I returned the smile. Then he looked down from my face at my body.

"Oh Daniel, you're wearing your pajamas," he pointed out. I glanced down and blushed.

"Your chest is sopping wet," I retorted. He laughed.

"Yes, but that was your fault!" He countered. I blushed again. We both laughed. I yawned.

"Have you been sleeping very much recently?" Vlad asked worriedly. I didn't understand why he was being so fatherly all of the sudden.

"Enough for me to get by," I lied. "It's like, four in the morning!" He rolled his eyes.

"You should sleep. I'll make sure nothing happens," he said kindly.

I wasn't about to trust this guy while I slept! Sure I had just completely opened myself up to him, but I honestly couldn't help it! I wasn't about to just fall asleep and entrust my life to him!

It was almost as if he could read my thoughts because then he said, "Daniel, you need rest. You can trust me. We are in this together. Now sleep."

Suddenly, I felt too tired to argue. I tried to stay awake for a while longer, but soon I slumped over in my seat. My eyes closed and I fell back asleep.

I felt my body being moved into a more comfortable position. My head was on something warm and comfy. It felt nice so I curled up against the warm object. Then I felt Vlad begin to stroke my hair. It was pretty creepy, but it felt nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that this story would have only been six or seven chapter if I hadn't randomly split it into multiple POVs...
> 
> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Do you write fanfiction? Do you just read fanfiction? Do you have any embarrassing fanfiction stories?


	4. Chapter 4

**Vlad's POV**

After the driver opened the limo door for us, I carefully slid Daniel into the backseat and climbed in across from him. I buckled my seat belt as he sat up.

"Where to. Sir?" My driver asked. I thought for a second. Daniel couldn't walk and didn't seem to have his powers. This could be the perfect opportunity to bring him back to my mansion and raise him as my perfect half-ghost son. Although, it wouldn't make him happy, and Maddie would at least be worried looking for him.

"Fenton Works," I replied unhappily. It wasn't my first choice, but it was where Daniel should go. Even if he wasn't going to receive a proper amount of food, or rest for that matter.

"Yes Sir!" The driver responded. Then I noticed that Daniel had not buckled his seat belt.

"Daniel, you need to keep in mind safety first! Put on your seat belt!" I commanded. He huffed and did as he was told. I felt a strange relief wash over me. I settled back into my seat. Then an awkward silence filled the limo.

"So how's the family?" I asked, even though I already knew. Daniel rolled his eyes. He must have somehow already known that I had spy cameras posted around his house.

"Oh. They're good," he replied. I nodded.

"How are you?" I asked more specifically.

"I'm okay. I've been better," he laughed. I laughed with him, but it wasn't because it was funny. It was just one of those laughs to fill a space in a conversation.

"Had any exciting discoveries lately?" I asked. It could be possible that he had gotten some new powers, or something along those lines.

"No?" He answered sounding very confused. He thoughts for a few seconds before his eyes lit up. "What happened to Skulker?" He asked. I knew that my whole body tensed up and it was obvious to Daniel.

I thought back to my moments in the park with the specter. He had said something about hunting. Then I had told him to leave Amity for a while so Daniel could finally get some rest. His parents had called me to see if I could possibly watch him for a month and get his grades and behavior improved. I had declined, of course. Then I had realized that his bad grades and behavior were because of lack of sleep, which was because of him fighting ghosts. I had decided to force the ghosts away to give time for young Daniel to rest. His health really does concern me.

"I...I fought him off," I stuttered weakly. I mentally slapped myself. I was an expert at lying! It came to me naturally! How could I tarnish my reputation this way?

"You're lying," Daniel pointed out cockily. I wanted to slap him, but that wouldn't make our current relationship any better. I still care for Daniel and would like to have a decent relationship with the boy.

"Really? What else is new, Daniel?" I asked sarcastically. Daniel huffed and looked out the window. His face suddenly became angry.

"Hey! We're passing my house!" He yelled at the driver. I laughed. Daniel's anger was amusing to say the least.

"Driver, please turn around. You passed the boy's home," I informed smoothly. Maybe he had just missed it or forgot. I smiled to reassure Daniel that we would be to his home soon. Daniel noticed my smile and leaned away from me looking disturbed.

"Sorry, we're low on gas, Sir. If we go back now, we will be out of fuel," the driver replied. I'm not sure why I didn't bother to learn his name. Daniel seemed outraged.

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but if we drop you off now, I'll be forced to stay at your house. I'm sure your father will want me to stay," I hinted. I could have chosen to say something more friendly, but I am currently his arch nemesis after all, aren't I?

"No!" He shrieked in reply. I smiled again. Daniel was amusing no matter what emotion played across his face. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me that wiped the smile right off of my face.

"Driver, why are we out of gas? Didn't you fill the tank before we left?" I thought aloud. I turned to look at him.

"Yes, Sir," he replied nervously. I tried not to smile. Is it entirely wrong that making other's feel nervous makes me feel more powerful? I guess it is, isn't it.

"So we shouldn't be out of gas," I concluded. "Stop this car immediately!" I demanded. Suddenly, a smug look appeared across his face.

"Sorry, but I can't do that, Sir," he jeered. He said the word "Sir" like it was some kind of insult! A screen appeared between us before I could retaliate.

"Oh butter biscuits!" I cried. I was trapped. The driver was taking me somewhere, and I would just have to go along. Do you want to know why I can't just use my powers to escape? I GHOST-PROOFED MY CAR! I now regretted making that decision.

"What?" A voice asked. I whipped around in surprise. Daniel was sitting there.

"For a moment I forgot you were there," I breathed. He blinked, still waiting for an answer. "Oh, well you see, this car is ghost proofed," I announced. He nodded understandingly.

"So what's the plan?" He asked. I couldn't help but rub my temples at our current predicament.

"Daniel, you can't walk. We can't phase out of here. There is no plan," I admitted defeatedly. I had no idea how we were going to get out of this utter disaster. Maybe if it was just me, I could take out the driver and escape, but I had to worry about Daniel as well. I had to protect me, even if he didn't want my help.

"What do you mean? There has to be a plan!" He yelled. All of this was giving me a headache.

"Daniel, be quiet. We will figure all of this out later," I claimed. I actually didn't think we would figure anything out. The driver might just drive us straight off a cliff.

"Wait! I have to be at my house tomorrow morning! I got grounded!" He cried desperately. He turned and looked out the back window, trying to spot his house in the distance.

"Daniel, there's no way we can possibly get you to your house in time," I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Was being grounded the thing he was most worried about right now? Apparently so because he whispered something under his breath and began to hyperventilate a moment later.

"Daniel! Daniel! Look at me! Look at me!" I tried to be in control. I knew that teenagers were emotional, but this was a bit ridiculous. Hyperventilating over getting grounded and not being in your house the next morning? I was concerned that Daniel was worried, but over something so small and insignificant?

I grabbed his shoulders and tried to look into his eyes. His eyes widened in realization and new found fear before darting around the room, in search of something he would surely never find. His breathing only got worse and he clutched at his chest, grasping for air.

"Daniel!" I yelled, trying to break him out of his trance. I slapped him in hopes that maybe he would slap me back, but he didn't stop breathing so heavily.

"Daniel! You have to calm down!" I screeched, as I tried not to begin panicking myself. Why was he acting this way?

I grabbed his cheeks and forced him to look at me. He was still clutching his chest and hopelessly scraping for air. I had to try to contain all the fatherly love that I knew that I would never be able to give to any child of my own. His eyes were so filled with terror and utter despair, it was hard to not feel guilty for all of the horrible things I had done to him in the past.

"Daniel!" I called again. His eyelids started to droop, and I knew that he wasn't getting sufficient oxygen to his brain. I couldn't possibly imagine why he was so panicked, but I could try to be kind to him. I let go of his face and pulled him tightly against my chest.

"Daniel, everything will be okay. I promise," I said softly into his ear. The heavy breathing slowed to a pant. I can't say I was entirely surprised when the boy burst out into sobs.

This poor boy has seen things that no person should ever have to see. He has been tortured and abused by strangers. He had to deal with not only puberty, but a sudden addition if ghost DNA to his chemical makeup. He gets close to no sleep, I'm sure. He has no time to eat. He has to juggle grades, fighting ghosts, staying sane, being a friend and son all at once. It broke my heart when he finally spoke.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for all the times we fought! I'm so sorry for hurting you all those times!" He wailed. Did he think that was his fault? If anything, all of our fights were my fault! "It hurts! It hurts so badly, Vlad! I can't feel my legs. My back is sore," he continued. "My hearts aches because no one understands me! My parents want to dissect me! It hurts in so many ways!" He cried.

I could not possibly blame him for our struggles. Wounds heal over time, but mental scars may not ever fully mend. His parents tried to dissect him? I'm sure it was when he was going as Phantom, but they spent more time on their ghost studies than they did taking care of him as their son! How could Daniel deal with so many things? His life would never be normal. I could not blame him for crying.

"It's okay, Daniel. Go ahead. Tell me how you feel. You've been holding it in too long. You need to let it out," I comforted. It was true. No human being could hold in that much emotional pain for as long as he had. It must be incredibly difficult not to cry out in pain during battles or break down afterwards.

So as the limo driver drove us to our unknown fate, Daniel and I held each other and he cried. He didn't just cry; he wept. He sobbed. He did exactly what I had told him to do. He let it all out.

I could feel each emotional wave that overpowered his body. All of the loneliness, sadness, anger, confusion, pain, happiness and longing poured out of him like a fountain. It seems that maybe we weren't really so different after all.

Eventually Daniel stopped crying. At first I thought that he had fallen asleep amid his tears, but then he spoke. "Can we not tell anyone about this?" He didn't make eye contact with me. He just stared silently down at his lap.

"Sure," I answered. What reason would I have to tell anyone about this? Daniel had just given himself up, and I had accepted. I could sense a fonder relationship growing between us. I glanced down for a moment and finally noticed what Daniel was wearing.

"Oh Daniel, you're wearing your pajamas!" I tried not to laugh. He glanced down and blushed.

"Your chest is sopping wet!" He tried to counter.

"Yes, but that was your fault!" I laughed. We both laughed together until Daniel yawned.

"Have you been sleeping very much lately?" I inquired. I already knew the answer to that.

"Enough for me to get by. It's like four in the morning!" He lied.

"You should sleep. I'll make sure nothing happens," I reassured. I could see the lack of trust in his eyes. He apparently still thought of us as enemies. "Daniel, you need rest. You can trust me. We are in this together. Now sleep," I ordered.

He looked like he was going to argue, but drowsiness overtook him. He yawned a final time before collapsing back into the seat. I smiled to myself and pulled his head into my lap. I didn't think that the way he had been resting was very comfortable for him. I was startled when he curled up against me. I stared down at him for a moment.

He looked so peaceful and innocent. He seemed happy and contented to once again rest. His soft black hair still stuck out at awkward angles. His pajamas were wrinkled. His face was soiled with tear marks. I couldn't resist the temptation that had been presented before me. I knew that I could never have a child, and Daniel would never act this way towards me again. So I ran my old fingers through his young hair. A small smile graced his lips.

I sat there stroking him that way for a while. It felt strange that our relationship had suddenly become so affectionate. I had never once imagined that something like this would happen. I was actually touching Daniel without causing him harm. It was a new sensation for me, and it made me happy.

Eventually, the limo came to a stop. I gently shook Daniel in an attempt to wake him up, but he only moaned in reply. The doors on either side of me opened.

"You didn't tell us there'd be a kid!" A man yelled.

"I didn't know there'd be a kid!" My driver's voice shouted back. A pair of rough hands snatched Daniel out of my lap.

"No! Leave him alone! Daniel! You have to wake up, Little Badger! Please!" I called. I hurried out of the limo after him. Two men approached me and tried to hold me back, but I easily shook them off.

"Let him go! He's only a child! Daniel!" I yelled. These people had obviously only meant to kidnap me. Now Daniel had gotten dragged into this mess. If they couldn't find some sort of use for him, they might kill him, or they might do horrible things to him. I honestly didn't want to imagine those things.

I kept screaming and fighting my way towards Daniel. It took a good eight men to hold me in place, and even after that it was still a struggle. I saw Daniel's eyelids flutter open and I continued to try to call to him. He studied his surroundings for a long time. Then he was dragged out if my sight.

"NO!" I screamed. I pulled one of my arms free and managed to get a good length away from the men. In that time, I sent an invisible clone of myself outside the building. He flew in and began to attack the men for me. I sat down and leaned against the limo. I had to catch my breath. I'm not as young as I used to be.

"Butter biscuits!" My clone cried out. I looked up in time to see some anti-ghost weaponry. Why would these men have ghost weaponry? Suddenly, a net was shot in my clone's direction. He yelped and dodged, only for the net to wrap around me.

I wasn't just a net. It was meant to shock ghosts. That's what it did. It shocked me. In my years as a ghost, I had never been able to hide when I was hurt. I always cried out in pain. I always limped our held my wound. So when this net wrapped around and shocked me, I screamed bloody murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that all fanfiction writers go through a phase where they unintentionally use a lot of cuss words that they don't actually know what they mean.
> 
> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Pillows or blankets? I like heavy blankets that bundle me up, but laying on pillows is so pleasing...


	5. Chapter 5

**Danny's POV**

I woke up to shouting, screaming and the sudden loss of Vlad's warm, comfy chest. I slowly opened my eyes. Vlad was being held by multiple men. He was violently struggling against them and screaming my name.

"Daniel! No! Daniel! Leave him alone! Daniel!" He screamed in an odd combination of anger, worry and fear. I was being carried away from him by two large men. I tried to turn intangible and get away, but my ghost powers were still shorted out.

"Don't try to escape. Since Masters so obviously cares about you, we can use that to an advantage," one man said roughly.

"An advantage? What do you mean? Vlad doesn't care about me! He hates me!" I argued. The other man rolled his eyes.

"We knew he was keeping some kind of secret. We never thought that it would be some kind of unregistered son!" He cried in disbelief.

"Son? I'm not his son!" I laughed. The man looked down at me.

"Sure," he replied. He obviously didn't believe me.

"You still didn't answer my question. What did you mean?" I questioned. I couldn't hear Vlad screaming at this point. We had gotten too far away.

"We planned to take him hostage until he agreed to give us a couple billion dollars, but with you to sweeten the deal, we might get even more!" The other man grinned.

"If I wasn't here, you wouldn't even have Vlad. He would have escaped. He probably already did and is on his way here to beat you up!" I muttered. Man #2 looked down at me.

Loud banging and yelling confirmed my thoughts. The men holding me tensed and hurried to a room nearby. They tossed me inside and locked the door.

"Seriously!" I whined. I scooted against the wall and pulled my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my knees and waited.

The banging and yelling continued for a while. Then the noise stopped all together. I perked up, expecting Vlad to come in any second and help me. I really didn't want to admit it, but I needed his help right now.

I stared at the door intently. There were still no sounds. I listened even more carefully. I scrambled to throw my hands over my ears as a blood curdling scream broke the silence.

My face fell and my heart broke. It was Vlad screaming. He was not screaming in anger, but in pain and agony. I kept my hands clamped over my ears even after the screaming stopped, and I silently began to cry.

I didn't cry because I was scared. I wasn't scared for me at least. I was angry at whomever had hurt Vlad. I was sad that Vlad was hurt. I was nervous if he was still alive.

Soon the door opened. Vlad was flung inside before the door closed and locked. I scooted myself over towards him, but he quickly rushed over to me.

"Daniel, are you alright?" He asked worriedly. What was up with him today?

"I'm fine. What about you! I heard your scream! Are you okay?" I asked. His eyes glazed over for a second and he winced. Then he looked deep into my eyes. His eyes were full of pain and longing. He didn't need to answer.

"What did they do to you?" I asked. He pulled me to the wall and we sat together.

"I fought them to try to get to you. I didn't really want to expose my ghost half so I made a clone of myself to fight for me. Surprisingly they had some very powerful ghost weapons.

My clone was floating in front of me to protect me, but then they fired a ghost net at him. He dodged it and it ensnared me. That's when I screamed," he explained softly. I stared at him with wide eyes.

"What do they want with us?" He murmured. I huffed. He was not going to like my answer.

"They want you to pay ransom for yourself and a separate ransom for me," I answered. He shot up like a bullet.

"What!" He yelled. His eyes lit up. I mean it literally. His eyes turned bright red.

I cowered against the wall. Since I knew that he wouldn't risk leaving the room and exposing his ghost half, the only other option for him to take his anger out on was me. He was so angry that he needed to vent, and he would do it on me while I didn't have my ghost half and couldn't defend myself.

His head whipped around, and his eyes locked onto mine. I stared in terror for a moment at the glowing red orbs. Then I quickly squeezed my eyes shut and turned away. I braced myself.

"Oh Daniel! I'm sorry!" Vlad broke down. He quickly knelt beside me and pulled me into another hug. What? Wasn't he going to punch me? Wasn't he going to rip my arms off or something?

"What?" I asked shakily. I was still slightly afraid of Vlad right now. He had looked so angry, and now he was hugging me.

Normally I would have shoved him off and called him a fruit loop, but it felt kind of relieving. I only say that because getting hugged is a lot better than getting beaten up.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry for getting so angry. I'm sorry about all the fights as well and all the times that I have hurt or humiliated you. I know that you're not my son, nor will you ever join me. But I think of you so fondly now. Please, can you ever forgive me?" He begged. He pulled away and looked sincerely into my eyes.

"Sure?" I replied weakly. This was too weird for me, and I fight ghosts every day! How can Vlad be sorry? He's Vlad! He's never sorry!

"Quick question," I started. Vlad nodded as a sign to continue. "Am I dreaming?" He laughed.

"No, you're not dreaming," he smiled. I stared into his eyes.

Did this make us...friends now? Was Vlad going to start expecting us to just act like this? This meaning hugging and sharing our feelings? Because I'm a fourteen year old boy! I am not going to go all soft just for him.

We sat there in the silence for a while. It wasn't awkward silence. It was just silence. I occasionally glanced in his direction, but he seemed to be deep in thought.

Eventually, the door burst open, breaking the silence. A few men came in. They were all very serious and dangerous. Vlad leaned over and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder. The man with the scar stood in front of the group.

"Take the boy," he barked. Vlad looked at me. I must have looked scared because his eyes flashed red for a moment. I won't lie; I was scared. I just didn't think I looked like it.

Another redheaded man stepped in my direction. Vlad stood up and blocked him. He must actually care about me because he was about to defend me. This all felt so weird!

"Step aside or we'll take him by force," the man in front of Vlad declared.

"Leave him alone," Vlad replied angrily with a shake of his head. Vlad never acted like this. I was about to start freaking out. Vlad was being really fatherly and protective today! It was creeping me out on so many levels.

Two men stepped out of the group. They grabbed Vlad and tried to hold him back. Of course, he struggled against them. He was so weak from getting zapped by the ghost net. It was no use.

"Daniel! Please just leave him alone!" He cried. He sounded sad and lonely. Who am I kidding? He is sad and lonely. He needs a cat.

The redheaded man approached me. He picked me up the way Vlad had before, with one hand under my back and the other under my knees. I sat still, figuring that I would probably get punched or something if I didn't cooperate. I didn't want Vlad to completely flip out and get hurt anymore.

"Daniel," I heard Vlad whisper as I was carried out of the room. He sure had a strange habit of saying my full name a lot. At least he wasn't saying my mom's name. That would just creep me out to the point of no return.

As the man carried me to our destination, I studied our surroundings. We were in an extremely large warehouse. There were a few windows, but most of them were boarded up. I could see a small section of the gray sky from here.

"We're here," the man announced. He pushed open a door to reveal a dimly lit room. There was a single light in the center of the room, shining on a chair.

The man carried me over to the chair. He set me down on it. Then I felt a cold sensation on my wrists and heard a click. I looked down. Metal cuffs had strapped my wrists to the chair!

"Let's start with level one," he declared. I had no idea what that meant.

He pulled the trigger on a small remote, and electricity flowed through my body. I felt like every different part of me was a different temperature. My back was freezing while my toes felt like they were scalding.

I still didn't make any noise, so the man cranked it up to level two. This time it felt like the temperatures were shifting and changing around my whole body. Then I felt like there was an occasionally shock going through my body.

Then the man switched straight to level five, one of the worst levels. I can't even describe the kind of pain I was experiencing. I felt like I was constantly being ripped apart and put back together again. My whole body felt cold and extremely hot at the same time.

I couldn't tell if I screamed or not. I think that I did, but no Vlad shot through the door to rescue me. Then, I fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked really dramatic angst - lots of screaming, lots of pain, very little comfort until like the last two sentences of the entire fic.
> 
> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Would you rather fly in a plane or sail in a boat? I don't really get motion sickness, but I love the feeling when a plan takes off. I'm shy, and anxious, and most things scare the tar out of me; but I adore roller coasters!


	6. Chapter 6

**Vlad's POV**

I was too weak to fight against them anymore. A few men rushed forward and dragged me a long ways. Suddenly I was thrown into a dim room. I heard a fainted scratching sound. I saw Daniel coming towards me. I hurried to him.

"Daniel, are you alright?" I gushed. These men were well trained fighters and I would not be surprised if they had hurt him.

"I'm fine. What about you! I heard your scream! Are you okay?" He inquired. I remembered the painful shock the net had sent through my body. I looked into his eyes, and he seemed to understand that I wasn't up to par. "What did they do to you?" He asked innocently. I grabbed him around the waist and moved us to the wall. He seemed fine with my movements, so I continued.

"I fought them to try to get to you. I didn't want to expose my ghost half so I made a clone of myself to fight for me. Surprisingly, they had some very powerful ghost weapons. My clone was floating in front of me to protect me, but then they fired a ghost net at him. He dodged it and it ensnared me. That's when I screamed," I retold the previous events. "What do they want with us?" I thought aloud. To my left, Daniel huffed.

"They want you to pay ransom for yourself and a separate ransom for me," he answered. I jumped up.

"What!" I screamed. They had kidnapped us for money? Do they have any morals? Not that I should be one to judge, but I would never kidnap someone for money! It was outrageous! Daniel wasn't supposed to be kidnapped. They were just going to make me pay extra for him! All of this was for money? I couldn't believe it.

I noticed Daniel shift uncomfortably. I turned to look at him. He was cowering back against the wall. I could see the faint glow of my red eyes on his body. He stared up at me in absolute terror. Then he forced his eyes shut and turned away.

He was afraid of me. I already knew that, but he seemed even more so now. Did I just do that? Did I make him afraid with a look?

Something inside of my heart melted. I wanted to have a friendly relationship with Daniel. Forcing him into submission or terrifying him wasn't going to do that. He had already opened himself up earlier and it was time that I do the same.

"Oh Daniel! I'm sorry!" I cried. I quickly knelt down beside him and wrapped my arms around his shivering form.

"What?" He squeaked. He was still afraid, and that made me feel awful inside.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry for getting so angry. I'm sorry about all the fights as well and all the times that I have hurt or humiliated you. I know that you're not my son, nor will you ever join me. But I think of you so fondly now. Please, can you ever forgive me?" I pleaded. It was genuine and sincere, straight from the heart. I pulled away from him with my hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Sure?" He replied shakily. He was still afraid. I couldn't be more sorry. "Quick question," he started sounding braver. I nodded. "Am I dreaming?" He gulped. I couldn't help but laugh. Only yesterday we were enemies, bent on destroying each other. Now we seemed to be on an affectionate level.

I didn't intend to keep it that way, of course. I am a grown man and a business man. I can't just start hugging people all the time. It would tarnish my image. Daniel could hug me all he wanted. I just wouldn't be the one to start.

"No, you're not dreaming," I responded. I thought about the relationship that Daniel and I would have from now on. Then the door was suddenly opened so harshly that it slammed against the wall. A small group of five or six men entered the room.

"Take the boy," a man with a large scar across the left side of his face barked. A redheaded man started to approach Daniel. I stood and blocked his path. Daniel was still only a teenager, and he could not walk currently. It wouldn't be fair if we opened ourselves up to each other and didn't protect one another.

"Step aside or we'll take him by force," the man declared. I shook my head.

"Leave him alone," I retorted. I didn't want them to harm him. Two large men stepped forward and grabbed my arms, pulling me back. I struggled weakly against them. I wasn't in the shape to fight. My ghost abilities were low in energy due to the net, and I was drained from it too.

"Daniel! Please just leave him alone!" I begged. If they wanted to convince me to pay them, he was definitely the way. They didn't have to hurt him. I would pay to protect him now.

The redhead picked Daniel up bridal style. Daniel looked terrified. Why didn't he fight back? Was he too afraid? I started fighting sluggishly against the men again. They didn't need to hurt him. I didn't want them to hurt him. The man carried him out of the room.

"Daniel," I whispered in confusion. Why didn't he fight back? Why didn't he even struggle a little bit? Why would he just let them take him? The other two men left the room, but they two holding me stayed put.

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked angrily. Fighting wasn't an option, but I could still interrogate them.

"You will find out soon," the taller one answered gruffly. So maybe I couldn't interrogate them.

We stood like that in silence for a short while. I took deep breaths to calm my nerves. I let my energy recharge. I thought about every possible weapon and escape route that I had seen in the building. Then it happened.

A horrifying scream broke the silence. I almost started crying myself. Daniel was screaming out. It shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. Suddenly, I couldn't even think. What had they done that could be so horrible as to make Daniel scream like that? I fell to my knees. The men let go of my arms and left the room.

Eventually, the redheaded man returned. He kicked open the door and rolled Daniel inside. Then he slammed the door again and locked it. I scrambled over to Daniel.

He was still breathing, thankfully. Although, he was unconscious. His arms laid limply on his chest. His hair stuck out in all directions. He didn't seemed hurt in any way, except for one thing. He was twitching. He just kept twitching. Some part of his body was always twitching. That have me the clue as to what they had done.

"Little badger, they electrocuted you?" I whispered sympathetically. I reached out and touched him. A small shock went through me. I yelped and pulled my hand away momentarily. I reached out again and was able to safely touch him. I gave a quick sigh of relief and pulled his form against my chest. I smoothed out his hair to its usual look. Then I cradled him and let a single tear fall onto his cheek.

It was decided. I don't care if my ghost half was exposed. Daniel and I were leaving as soon as possible. These men would get nothing from me for hurting him.

I stood up and changed into my ghost half. Then I turned intangible and exited the building. I didn't stop flying until I reached my mansion in Amity Park. I placed Daniel in the bed in the guest room and transformed back into my human half. I jogged down into my office. I had a lot of preparation to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What's your favorite snack food? Fruit? Crackers? Chips?


	7. Chapter 7

**Sam's POV**

The night Danny disappeared, Tucker and I both received a text requesting help. Of course, we hadn't told anyone that. We had gotten up and hurried to his house, ready to fight. Then we searched all over town with the Fenton Ghost Detector. We couldn't find him. Tucker had suggested it was a false alarm, so we went home for the night.

Then next morning, I got a call from Mr. and . Danny wasn't at their house. I told them he wasn't with me. Then they broke down and said that Tucker had given the same answer. I was starting to get confused. Where was he?

Tucker and I decided to check at school that day. He wasn't there either. When we came home, we compared all of our messages. We still couldn't find anything. Then we decided to check the Ghost Zone.

"Do you really think we should do this?" Tucker asked as we gathered supplies in the lab at Fenton Works.

"No, but we have to find him," I answered. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely worried about him. I was scared to no end. What if he never returned? What if he had become all ghost and was afraid to tell us? I tried to push those thoughts away. Suddenly, my phone rang.

"Who could that be?" Tucker wondered. He leaned over to see. The screen said "Clueless One".

"It's him!" I squealed. I pressed the shiny green button and held the phone to my ear. Tucker leaned closer to hear what was going on.

"Where have you been?" I demanded. I was startled as a voice that was clearly not Danny's answered.

"So I see that this is Samantha's contact," the older voice mumbled.

"Who are you? What have you done with Danny?" I hissed.

"I have done nothing to my Little Badger. I assumed that you would like to see him though. You need to come by my mansion if you wish to see him," the voice answered irritably.

"Yes, we would like to see him. But it's kind of hard to come to your mansion if we still don't know who you are," I replied angrily to the voice.

"I thought it would have been easy to recognize my voice, considering I am the mayor," the voice chuckled. My eyes snapped wide in realization and I glanced over at Tucker.

"Vlad Masters?" I guessed.

"Bingo. I'll see you when you get here," Vlad responded. The call ended there.

"Vlad?" Tucker asked nervously.

"Yes, and we need to get to his mansion now!" I cried. We practically threw our ghost hunting gear on the ground and we scrambled out the door. We hopped onto our scooters that were parked outside and quickly rode away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Who's your favorite Danny Phantom character?


	8. Chapter 8

**Danny's POV**

"Skulker, Vlad, gang!" I screamed as I sat up quickly. My mind raced through what had happened. I practically fell out of the bed in my wake.

"Bed?" I murmured as I looked up. There it was, a queen sized, four poster bed with clean sheets and a red comforter. I quickly studied my surroundings.

There was a fancy cherry wood dresser. There was a large closet with double doors. The wall on the other side of the bed was made mostly of a giant window. Behind me was another door to a bathroom. Near the foot of the bed was the entrance and exit from the room.

What had happened to the dark, grimy warehouse? Where were all of the heartless gang members? How was I no longer in the electric chair? How had I survived the electric chair? Where was I now? What was going on?

"Little Badger, you have woken up!" Vlad greeted happily as he entered the room. I figured out what happened from there. Vlad had gotten me after I passed out and brought me to one of his mansions.

He pushed a wheelchair in front of him. On the seat of the chair, a small stack of clothes sat. "I figured you might need these," he blushed. He had bought those for me?

"Okay," I murmured. I tried to stand up, but I fell over. Vlad caught me and helped me into the wheelchair. I moved the clothes into my lap. "Thanks," I declared.

"No problem, Little Badger. I'll let you take a shower and such. Tucker and Samantha will be here soon," he explained. He left the room and closed the door. I practiced wheeling myself around. Then I went over to the bathroom.

"The only thing that could make this better, was if I had my powers back," I thought aloud as I stared into the mirror. I tried to transform, but I still got nothing. I growled and tugged off my pajamas. Then I turned on the water in the shower and adjusted it to the perfect temperature. I climbed inside the shower and just sat in comfort.

The warm water ran over me like a massage. The caked dirt from my fall through the tree and hours spent in that cell washed away down the drain, turning the water a murky brown until it was gone. My hair became soaked and hung in front of my eyes, but I don't think I've ever been so happy to take a shower.

I noticed a green and a red bottle in the corner on a little shelf. The green bottle was labeled "shampoo", and the red bottle was labeled "conditioner". I grabbed the bottles and began to wash my hair. Then I ran my fingers through my hair until I was sure that all of the cleanser was out.

In another corner, I saw a blue bottle. It was labeled "body wash". I grabbed that and thoroughly washed my body. Then I let the water run over me again. I took a deep breath and turned off the water. I exited the shower and began to put on the clothes.

There was a plain green t-shirt, a pair of acid washed jeans, a pair of white socks and a pair of underwear. I wasn't entirely surprised that there was underwear. I just didn't expect it to be my size or the brand that I usually buy. It was almost creepy that Vlad happened to know my clothing and underwear sizes.

I shuddered that thought away and studied myself in the mirror again as I hauled myself into my wheelchair. I still looked like myself (duh), but I also looked a little bit nicer as well. I spotted a hair brush, tooth brush and a bottle of tooth paste near the sink. I brushed my hair and teeth. Then I wheeled myself out of the bathroom. I went through the bedroom into the hallway. Vlad was sitting on a chair outside the door.

"Little badger, I got a cure for Skulker's dart. It will give you your powers back," he announced. I was glad that I would be able to get my powers back, but how did he know that Skulker had hit me with the dart?

"How did you know that?" I inquired. Vlad and I had seemed to form some kind of bond, and I wanted to trust him. He has lied to me so much in the past, though.

"I hunted Skulker down," he shrugged. It was a well thought out lie; I would give him that much.

"Now that that's been said, what's the truth?" I asked. He sighed.

"Daniel, I will tell you later. Just let me give you the antidote," he replied. I was wary to trust him, but we had seemed to come so close.

"Alright, I trust you, but you have to tell me later," I declared. He held up a needle full of a yellow liquid.

"Sure, Daniel. Now please hold out your arm," he instructed. I did as I was told and held it out. He gave me a small smile and injected me. I won't say that it was a pleasant experience, I've gone through worse.

"I'm starting to get really cold," I commented. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered.

"Well, you do have an ice core. I normally keep the house a bit cooler than usual because of my heat core. I have a jacket for you," he offered. He held out a red windbreaker. I accepted and pulled it on. Then the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Samantha and Tucker," he announced.

"I forgot to turn off the shower. I'll be right downstairs," I lied. I'm wasn't sure if I was ready to see Sam and Tucker just yet. I still couldn't walk and my ghost powers weren't fully back. How was i supposed to explain all of this? Vlad nodded and flew intangibly through the floor. I wheeled back into the bedroom to collect my thoughts and figure somethings out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Do you like video games? What are your favorite kind?


	9. Chapter 9

**Vlad's POV**

After confronting Skulker, shopping online and calling Daniel's companions, I sat quietly in the study. The things that I thought Daniel might need arrived by super express merely an hour after I had ordered them, which was actually a few minutes after I had called Samantha. I was unwrapping the items, when I heard a muffled cried from upstairs and a loud thump.

"Little Badger, whatever are you doing?" I pondered aloud. I grabbed the wheelchair and the clothes and brought them up to his room.

"Little Badger, you have woken up!" I smiled as I entered the room. Daniel stared up at me. He seemed a bit confused at first, but it soon became a happy look. Then he noticed the wheelchair in front of me and looked confused again. "I figured you might need these," I said. A small blush crept into my cheeks for not asking Daniel if he would need them first.

"Okay," he murmured. He pushed himself up and tried to stand, but he quickly began to fall. I swiftly moved around the wheelchair and caught him under his arms. Then I helped him into said wheelchair. "Thanks," he told me.

"No problem, Little Badger. I'll let you take a shower and such. Tucker and Samantha will be here soon," I announced and left the room. I paused outside the door and listened for a moment. I heard Daniel practicing with his wheelchair. I smiled inwardly and went down to my study. I located an old black box in my bookshelves. Then I pulled it out and opened it.

A long time ago, I gave Skulker a special dart for hunting ghosts in return for his services. I had never suspected that he might use it on my poor little badger. I still had the antidote, in case Skulker and I ever got in a battle and he used it on me. The dart was designed specifically to suppress ghostly abilities.

In all the time that Daniel and I have spent together in the past day, he had never once used his ghost powers. He had also asked about Skulker. From those things, I had assumed that Skulker had used said dart on him. Daniel would feel insecure and weak without his powers. I didn't want him to feel that way.

Upstairs, I heard the sounds of rushing waters cease. I flew upstairs and sat down outside the door with the antidote. Eventually, the door opened, and Daniel came out in his wheelchair.

"Little Badger, I got a cure for Skulker's dart. It will give you your powers back," I explained. He looked at me stunned for a moment.

"How did you know about that?" He asked.

"I hunted Skulker down," I lied. I knew that Daniel and I had grown closer, but I didn't want to tell him just yet.

"Now that that's been said, what's the truth?" He asked. I almost laughed at his clever statement. He was getting better at reading me. I sighed instead. Samantha and Tucker would be here soon, and I didn't think that we would have time to talk about this.

"Daniel, I will tell you later. Just let me give you the antidote," I requested. He thought for a second.

"Alright, I trust you, but you have to tell me later," he declared. It made me happy that he trusted me even though I had just lied to his face.

"Sure, Daniel," I agreed. "Now please hold out your arm," I instructed. Daniel did, and I slid the needle into a vein and pressed on the plunger. I pulled the needle out and set it on the chair nearby.

"I'm starting to get really cold," he muttered. I had prepared for that, just in case. Daniel rubbed his arms and shivered.

"Well, you do have an ice core. I normally keep the house a bit cooler then usual because of my heat core. I have a jacket for you," I finally finished my ramble. I held out the thin red thing. He smiled and took it from me. He pulled it into his thin arms, and the doorbell rang.

"That's probably Samantha and Tucker," I thought aloud. Daniel suddenly shifted uncomfortably.

"I forgot to turn off the shower. I'll be right downstairs," he said. It was an obvious lie. I had heard the shower turn off earlier, but he did look rather uncomfortable. Maybe he had put on his underwear backwards? I just nodded and flew downstairs through the floor.

I landed lightly on the tile floor and checked myself. My gray ponytail was neat. My suit was clean and straight. None of my pockets were inside out. I looked like Vlad Masters, but I was a different man inside than when the world had last seen me as Amity Park's mayor.

I moved quickly across the foyer. I paused in front of the double black door. Then I opened the one on the right. As expected, Samantha and Tucker were standing there.

"Hello, Samantha and Tucker," I greeted cheerfully. Samantha rolled her eyes.

"It's Sam. Where is he?" She inquired as she shoved past me into my mansion.

"Sorry, she's just anxious to see him. Lovebirds, you know?" Tucker joked. Daniel and Samantha were in love?

"No, I guess I don't know. I have a lot to learn. Please come in," I invited. Tucker nodded and briskly stepped into the foyer. He stopped and began to gawk at the elegantly carved pillars and shining floors and windows.

"So, like I said, where's Danny?" Samantha asked again. She turned to face me. I closed the door and walked around to the foot of the stairs.

"We have to wait for him to come downstairs," I replied. She huffed.

"How can we trust you? All you've ever done is hurt him! For all we know, he could be under mind control or something!" She cried. She stood on the tips of her toes to glare into my eyes.

"Little girl, I have no intention of hurting Daniel. A few events have occurred in the recent past, and I've had a change of heart," I announced.

"Change how?" Tucker asked skeptically as he joined Sam by her side. Before I could answer, the "ding" of the elevator rang out through the foyer. We turned to look at the opening elevator doors. Daniel was sitting in his wheelchair.

"Sorry, I was kinda afraid to risk using the stairs in this thing," he gushed. His hand flew up to the back if his neck in nervousness. He pulled his hand back down and started to wheel forwards us. His wheels got stuck in the crack between the elevator and the floor. Daniel kept tugging at the wheels, trying to get free.

"Here, let me help," Sam offered.

"I'd rather Vlad did it," Daniel responded without looking up from his predicament. I stepped forward to help, but Tucker held his arm out and stopped me.

"What! How can you trust him? He's Vlad!" Sam screeched. Daniel rolled his eyes and looked up.

"A lot has happened, Sam, and I..." He started to say.

"A lot has happened like what? Is that why you're in the wheelchair? Is Vlad forcing you to do this?" Tucker interrupted.

"No, Vlad's not forcing me to do..." He began to answer.

"Yeah, what did happen to your legs?" Sam asked.

"I will tell you as soon as I'm out of this..." Daniel started to reply.

"We were worried sick about you! What has happened that Vlad has had a change of heart and you trust him?" Tucker inquired.

"I WILL TELL YOU WHEN SOMEONE GETS ME OUT OF THIS ELEVATOR!" Daniel yelled. He stared angrily at his friends. They stood frozen in complete shock. I took this chance to step forward and pull the wheelchair out.

"Let's discuss this in the sitting room," I suggested. Daniel took a deep breath and slouched back in the seat.

"Sure, Vlad. Let's do that," he sighed. I pushed the wheelchair into the doorway on our left and the other children followed.

To fully describe what was about to happen, I must describe the layout of the room. To our left, a good half of the wall was covered with window and curtains. To our right, the entire wall was lined with bookshelves. A long leather couch was against the far wall across from the door, and two plush chairs were across from the couch in the center of the room.

I pushed Daniel to a place near the chairs and the window. He smiled up at me then placed his face in his hands and tugged at his hair. I sat in the chair nearest to him and put a comforting hand on his knee. Sam and Tucker sat on the couch.

"It all started at about three last night," Daniel began. He began the long story of his encounter with Skulker and the dart. Then he went on to describe what happened when I found him, with me occasionally correcting or filling in details. After that, we took turns describing what had happened in the warehouse.

During the whole story, Sam and Tucker sat wide eyed. There was the occasional snort or laugh when something was funny, or the gasp or gulp when something sad or frightening was brought up. Daniel cleverly took out the parts where either he or I had shown affectionate emotion.

When all was said and done, Sam stood with tears in her eyes. She stepped towards Daniel. Then she smiled and gave him a warm hug. Daniel gave a small sigh of relief. Tucker stood and gave Daniel a high five. Then Daniel yawned.

"Sam and Tucker, thank you for coming. You may come and see Daniel everyday until he recovers. Then I presume, that he will be going home. I must request that you do not tell his family until he can walk again, because that would be very difficult to explain. Daniel needs his rest, so I'm afraid this is goodbye for today," I announced briskly.

"What are you? My secretary?" Daniel teased. He smiled and turned back to his friends. "Vlad's right. If I really want to be able to walk again, I need sleep. Please come back tomorrow," he requested. Sam smiled and held his hand. Tucker muttered something about lovebirds. Sam then proceeded to punch him.

"Goodbye Danny," Sam said unhappily. She gave me a look that I can't fully describe. It was a mixture of anger, sadness and sincere trust.

"Yeah, see you later!" Tucker smiled. Daniel nodded and they started to head for the door. Right then, a large shadow fell over the room.

"Hello, Whelp," an eerie voice called out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Which Danny Phantom character would you say you're most like?


	10. Chapter 10

**Danny's POV**

I was still pretty nervous when I heard the front door open. I took a deep breath. I had to face them. I couldn't hide in here forever. Sam would at least convince Vlad to come up and get me.

I started to wheel down the hall as I heard the front door close. I came to the top of a tall staircase, but readers remember. I'm in a wheelchair. How am I supposed to get down three flights of stairs without dying? (Like it would really matter if I died. I'm half ghost.)

I noticed a blinking light somewhat down the hall. I rolled myself towards it as shouts began downstairs. I quickly entered the elevator and pressed the 1 button. The elevator made a small "ding" as I passed each floor. Finally it gave the loudest "ding" of all to signal that I had indeed arrived on the first floor.

When the door opened, I can't really say I was too surprised at what I saw. Vlad was standing irritably with his hands neatly folded behind his back. Sam was leaning up into his face, intimidating as always. Tucker was standing nearby, fidgeting nervously. I suddenly realized that they were looking at me expectantly.

"Sorry, I was kinda afraid to risk using the stairs in this thing," I apologized. Vlad relaxed visibly and Sam stepped away from him. My hand flew to my neck as it does when I'm nervous. Then I noticed that I was still in the elevator. I mentally slapped myself. I grabbed my wheels and started to go to them, but I got stuck.

I looked down. My wheels had gotten stuck in the crack between the elevator and the foyer floor. Are you kidding me? I must look so pathetic right now! Tucker was probably going to get me for this later. I kept tugging at my wheels, trying to get either forward or backwards.

"Here, let me help," Sam offered. I kept staring at my wheels as I tried to figure out a way to get free.

"I'd rather Vlad did it," I mumbled. It was, after all, Vlad's mansion. This was the wheelchair that he had bought for me. It was his elevator. He had been so nice. I just wanted him to. I don't have anything against Sam. Vlad was just as available as she was. I just felt like I was relying on him right now, not her.

"What! How can you trust him? He's Vlad!" She practically screamed at me. I rolled my eyes and looked up at her.

"A lot has happened, Sam, and I..." I started to say that I thought we could trust Vlad, but Tucker spoke.

"A lot has happened like what? Is that why you're in the wheelchair? Is Vlad forcing you to do this?" He asked.

"No, Vlad's not forcing me to do..." I was going to complete that thought with 'anything', but Sam started thinking aloud.

"Yeah, what did happen to your legs?" She wondered. I was starting to get a little bit irritated. I was still in the elevator! Couldn't someone just get me out already?

"I will tell you as soon as I'm out of this..." I began.

"We were worried sick about you! What has happened that Vlad has had a change of heart and you trust him?" Tucker asked anxiously. Was he still on that? I was pretty irritated at this point. I had just gotten interrupted at least three times.

"I WILL TELL YOU WHEN SOMEONE GETS ME OUT OF THIS ELEVATOR!" I yelled. Everyone tensed at my outburst, but I held my ground. Sam and Tucker were frozen. Thankfully, Vlad stepped forward and began to push my wheelchair for me.

"Let's discuss this in the sitting room," he suggested. I released my anger and slouched back into the seat.

"Sure, Vlad. Let's do that," I sighed. Vlad pushed me into a door nearby. It was a really nice room. I'm not saying that it's what I would have done, but it suited Vlad's tastes very well. Vlad stopped my wheelchair to the left of one of the chairs. My back was to the window, which was night because I could see everyone's faces perfectly.

Vlad sat next to me and placed his hand on my knee. It was still all too weird that Vlad would touch me so gently. Then Sam and Tucker sat on the couch nearby.

"It all started at about three last night," I started to explain. I told them about my fight with Skulker and the dart. I told them about Vlad finding me. I "happened" to skip the very emotional parts in the limousine. Then I talked about what happened with the gang. Again I somehow "forgot" to talk about Vlad's emotional breakdown. Then Vlad pretty much summed up about how we got back to the mansion.

Sam and Tucker were somewhat shocked at what we had gone through in only a day. No pun intended. At first, I thought that they would possibly be angry. I mean, they didn't say anything for a pretty long time. They didn't interrupt or ask questions. They just listened to the story. They laughed when I said something funny. They gasped when something bad happened. I really couldn't tell what they were feeling other than that.

At the end of our story, Sam stood from the couch. I noticed a few tears, threatening to spill from her beautiful amethyst eyes. She approached me. Then she swooped down and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she breathed into my ear. I gave a small sighed of relief and hugged her back. When she pulled away, Tucker stood as well. I was slightly concerned that he might hug me as well. He smiled and leaned forward. Then he held his hand up and we high-fived. That was not what I had expected. I just had to ruin the moment by yawning.

"Sam and Tucker, thank you for coming. You may come and see Daniel everyday until he recovers. Then, I presume, that he will be going home. I must request that you do not tell his family until then, because that would be very difficult to explain. Daniel needs his rest, so I'm afraid this is goodbye for today," Vlad said his business man tone.

"What are you? My secretary?" I joked. He smirked. I turned back to Tucker and Sam. "Vlad's right. If I really want to be able to walk again, I need sleep. Please come back tomorrow," I invited. Sam grabbed my hand. I felt a small blush rising up, but I quickly forced it down.

"Lovebirds," Tucker muttered. I have him a death glare. Sam just punched him in the arm. Not that he should have doubted that she would. She always punches him. It actually kind of cute. WHAT AM I SAYING?!

"Goodbye Danny," Sam said softly. She gave my hand a small squeeze.

"Yeah, see you later!" Tucker cried. How could he be so happy? Sam just punched him for crying out loud! I smiled at the two of them and we headed for the door. The room suddenly seemed to get a bit darker. I slowly began to turn in my wheelchair, wanting to see who was there.

"Hello, Whelp," the metallic voice rang out. I could recognize that voice anywhere. Before I had any time to react, Skulker blasted me into the bookcases.

"DANNY!" Sam and Tucker screamed. They started to run towards me.

"Go," I commanded weakly.

"But," Sam started.

"GO!" I yelled. Sam and Tucker were my weakness. Skulker knew that. He would probably do something to them that I would feel guilty for later.

"I..." Sam started. Tucker groaned and dragged her towards the door. Suddenly, Vlad was blasted into the bookcase next to me. He was in his ghost form, so he didn't really feel anything too bad. He quickly shot up and began to pummel Skulker.

Then Skulker stuck out his hand and blasted a net around Sam and Tucker. He continued to fight with Vlad, while I struggled to get up again. I managed to get back into my wheelchair and go towards Sam and Tuck.

"Oh no you don't!" Skulker yelled. He blasted Vlad back into the bookcase. Vlad slid down and changed back into his human form. I gulped. What was I going to do now? Skulker turned to me and gave me a creepy smile.

"Aren't you going to fight, Whelp?" He taunted. He knew that I didn't have my powers from his dart. He didn't know that Vlad had given me the antidote.

"Don't hurt them!" I cried, trying to sound afraid. I guess it worked because I swear Sam almost started crying. I felt bad for making her so scared.

"Oh, the poor ghost boy without his powers. Whatever shall you do, Whelp?" He asked. He batted his eyelashes like a total creep.

"This!" I yelled. (Lame, I know.) I tried to transform. This time, the rings actually formed around my waist. I beamed triumphantly as they started to travel up my body. Then they started to go back down. "No!" I yelped. Then the rings disappeared altogether. I huffed and looked up at Skulker.

"I wasn't expecting that actually," he murmured. His seemed a bit confused, but he quickly regained his irritatingly creepy smile. "Well, we can remedy that," he grinned. I started wheeling backwards away from him.

"Daniel!" Vlad cried. He started to get up. Skulker blasted him with a net, knocking him to the ground again.

"Stay out of this, old man," Skulker growled. He turned back to me. I bumped into the corner now. Skulker started his walk towards me. "Whelp, this ends tonight," he declared.

"I...I..." I sputtered. I couldn't come up with a coherent sentence. I was terrified. Vlad, Sam and Tucker were out of the question to help me. I couldn't change into my ghost form. I still couldn't walk. I was in real trouble.

"I want you to understand something, ghost child," Skulker stated. He pulled me up out of the wheelchair. I just stared up into his eyes. "I am the ghost zone's greatest hunter," he smiled.

"I..." I stumbled to find words. Skulker held me closer and higher, so that our chests were almost touching.

"Oh, but I won't kill you first. That would make your life too easy," he whispered. I gulped. What was he going to do? Skulker flicked his wrist and Vlad's net flew towards Sam and Tucker. Skulker punched me in the stomach. Then he dropped me so that I was left gasping on my hands and knees. He then proceeded to walk towards the two nets.

"They go first," he grinned. My heart skipped a beat.

"No," I breathed, barely able to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: If you had one of Danny's powers, which one would you want?


	11. Chapter 11

**Tucker's POV**

"Hello, Whelp," Skulker's voice rang out. I spun on my heels to face him. As I did so, he shot Danny, effectively sending him flying across the room into a bookcase with his wheelchair crashing beside him.

"DANNY!" Sam and I screamed and the same time. Vlad lunged for Skulker, and we charged for Danny's limp form.

"Go," he croaked. A tear ran down Sam's cheek.

"But," she started to argue.

"GO!" He yelled.

Danny had once had a really bad fight. He ended up having a total freak out afterwards. He curled up in a ball and cried for over an hour. It was heart breaking. I was the only one who had ever seen Danny like that. I stayed with him and got him to talk. That's when he explained how worried Sam and I make him during fights. He feels the need to protect us. It almost made me cry with him. He sounded so lonely and afraid. I didn't cry. I had to be strong in that moment, for him. I've never forgotten that.

Danny didn't want us to get hurt. He cared about us, especially Sam. If we ever got hurt, Danny admitted that he might go completely insane. That could be really dangerous. We needed to leave. It wasn't the best idea, but it would give Danny a fighting chance against Skulker.

"I..." Sam tried to argue again. I groaned. Danny so did not need this. I grabbed Sam by the wrist and dragged her towards the door. As we neared the door, a net wrapped around us. It was pretty large, so Sam and I were able to move comfortably and still have space.

"Not good," I breathed. I glanced over at Danny. He was fighting his own battle, trying to get into his wheelchair. I looked over at Vlad. Skulker and he were fighting like there was no tomorrow. Vlad lifted up a small dagger and was about to strike Skulker.

"Oh no you don't!" Skulker cried. He blasted Vlad back into the bookcases. Then Vlad reverted back to his human half. Danny was only a few yards away now. He had somehow managed to get into his wheelchair and was making his way towards us.

"Aren't you going to fight, Whelp?" Skulker taunted. Danny looked terrified.

"Don't hurt them!" He pleaded. Sam had a sudden intake of breath. I looked at her quickly. Tears were welled up in her eyes. She looked like she was going to freak out at any moment. I gently grabbed her hand. She didn't even seem to notice.

"Oh, the poor ghost boy without his powers. Whatever shall you do, Whelp?" Skulker teased.

"This!" Danny yelled. What kind of a reply was that? It wasn't cocky at all! It was actually really lame. Sam even sighed next to me.

What we weren't expecting, was that Danny would start to transform. He look hopeful and determined. It was a look that just came naturally to him. Sam started giggling a little bit. Then Danny started to revert back to human.

"No!" He yelped as he stared down at his body. Well that wasn't good. Vlad was probably down for the count. Skulker was still loaded with weapons. Sam and I were still stuck in this stupid net, and Danny couldn't go ghost. That's not good at all.

"I wasn't expecting that actually," Skulker breathed. Even from behind the specter, I could tell that he was a tad confused. "Well, we can remedy that," He said like a total creeper. Who says something like that and doesn't sound creepy? Danny started wheeling backwards, away from Skulker.

"Daniel!" Vlad yelled in worry as he tried to get up. Skulker blasted him down with a net. I still find it a little weird that Danny and Vlad like each other as friends now.

"Stay out of this, old man," Skulker growled. Danny backed into the corner now. I took a deep breath. Skulker and Danny started talking.

"This is it," Sam whispered to me. I turned my attention away from Danny and Skulker to look at Sam. She was staring off into space, not even really paying attention to what was happening.

"What is what?" I asked quietly.

"This is the end, isn't it? We're going to die," she clarified. I gulped. Were we going to die? Skulker seemed to be having control of what was happening. Vlad wasn't going to save the day. Unless by some miracle, Danny couldn't really use his powers.

"Sam, I'm not sure if I should tell you this," I started. Was it okay for me to tell Danny's feelings to her? We were probably going to die. Would it really matter? It probably wouldn't.

"Yes?" She prodded. She gently tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"Danny... He... He," I couldn't find it in myself to say the words. Vlad's net landed nearby. I wanted to turn back to the fight, but I had to tell Sam.

"I know, Tucker. I know," she stopped me. She knew? She knew that Danny loved her? That he couldn't stop thinking about her since the third grade? That he was dying to know everything about her? No pun intended.

"I just thought that maybe I should tell you," I mumbled.

"It's okay. Danny needs us. Let's give him our support until the end," she smiled briefly. Her smile didn't go up to her eyes. She was scared and sad. I gave her hand a little squeeze. Then we watched Danny and Skulker.

Danny was on his hands and knees now. He was gasping for air. His arms were shaking, threatening to give out at any moment. He look weak. It was depressing.

"They go first," Skulker announced.

"No," Danny, Sam and I breathed at once. A large, glowing green blade shot out of Skulker's arm. He stepped towards Vlad, Sam and I.

"This is it," I whispered. Sam held my hand tighter. Vlad's hand found its way through the net. We all held hands as Skulker lifted the knife.

"Y-you can't!" Danny pleaded.

"I can, and I will," Skulker laughed, enjoying what was going to be his victory.

"Please! I'll do anything! Just leave them alone!" Danny begged.

"Who should I kill first? The goth girl, the best friend or the old man?" Skulker ignored Danny. "Or should I take them all out with one swipe? Yes, that must be the way," He decided.

"No!" Danny cried. Suddenly, one of his arms gave out. He collapsed to the floor, facing us. He clutched his wrist tightly against his chest and stared down at it, bewildered for a moment. Then he looked up. Our eyes locked onto each others.

"Look away," I mouthed. He shook his head. Skulker lifted his blade. I tore my eyes away from Danny to stare up at the oncoming death.

"He loves you, Sam," I breathed. I felt her grip on my hand grow even tighter. This was really it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Do you ship Sam and Danny, or are there other ships you like more? I'm pretty laid back with my ships, and I generally tend to ship kind of everything.


	12. Chapter 12

**Danny's POV**

A large, curved knife blade ejected out if Skulker's arm. He was really going to make me watch them die, wasn't he? He stepped towards the nets.

"Y-you can't!" I whimpered.

"I can, and I will," he declared.

"Please! I'll do anything! Just leave them alone!" I pleaded. If Sam and Tucker died, I don't know what I'd so.

"Who should I kill first? The goth girl, the best friend or the old man? Or should I kill them all with one swipe? Yes, that must be the way," Skulker thought aloud.

"No!" I cried. My arm turned intangible. I clattered to the ground. I quickly pulled my wrist to my chest. I was now on my side, facing Skulker's back and Sam and Tucker. Did my arm just turn intangible? I stared down at it breathlessly for a moment. My powers...were they back? I did an invisibility test on the tip of my finger. It worked? It worked! My powers were back!

I glanced up. My eyes locked onto Tucker's and Sam's at the same time. Sam gave me a small sad smile. Tucker mouthed "look away". I shook my head silently. Skulker started to lift his blade, and Tucker looked up at it.

I can't truly explain what really happened next. A rush of adrenaline shot through my body. I put my palms flat on the ground and pushed myself up. With a little ghostly help, I managed to shakily stand up. It took quite a bit of energy not to fall flat on my face.

"Leave," I started. I took a step forward, giving Skulker the ultimate death glare.

"Them," I continued as I took another step. Skulker started to swing his blade.

"ALONE!" I screamed in complete rage. Every emotion that I had ever felt was poured into they scream, and I preformed my best ghost power yet. I loved Sam with all my heart. I was angry at everything that had happened that had screwed up my life. I was sad for all of my losses and weaknesses. I was in pain from every fight I've ever had, which is a lot. I'm a teenager with hormones. A lot of emotions got packed into that scream. I blew Skulker right out the window with my ghostly wail. Then I ran out of adrenaline and energy. I collapsed to the floor in a tired heap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Who is cuter in your mind, Fenton or Phantom?


	13. Chapter 13

**Sam's POV**

I couldn't watch the fight. It was killing me inside. First, Vlad had gotten beaten senseless and thrown aside like a rag doll. Then Skulker had come after Danny. That's when the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

"This is it," I whispered to Tucker.

"What is what?" He asked. I wanted to laugh and roll my eyes. I wanted to tell him how clueless he was being, but that was something that I had reserved for Danny.

"This is the end, isn't it? We're going to die," I murmured.

"Sam, I'm not sure if I should tell you this," Tucker muttered. He bit his lip hesitantly.

"Yes?" I prodded. What was he trying to say? I noticed a loose piece of hair in my face. I quickly tucker it behind my ear.

"Danny... He...he..." He stuttered. Vlad's net crashed next to us. I couldn't let Tucker complete his thought, no matter how much I wanted to turn and look.

"I know, Tucker. I know," I confirmed. Danny wasn't going to make it either. It was a hard thing to accept. That tomorrow none of us would still be alive. We might not even exist. What did happen if you were killed by a ghost?

"I just thought that maybe I should tell you," he mumbled. Okay, so maybe he hadn't meant what I thought he meant. What did he really want to say? I couldn't take it back and say that I didn't really know, though. Then I would sound stupid. Did it really matter? Weren't we going to die?

"It's okay. Danny needs us. Let's give him out support until the end," I said. I gave him a reassuring smile. He didn't return the favor. We looked out of the net to the fight.

"They go first," Skulker directed his attention towards Tucker, Vlad and I.

"No," Danny, Tucker and I breathed at once. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to see Danny die either though, but the fact that I couldn't be there for him in his last moments was almost enough to make me cry.

A large, green blade popped out of Skulker's arm. He stepped towards us. I inwardly cried. Why couldn't the tears come out on the outside? Why did they refuse to leave my eyes?

"This is it," Tucker announced quietly. Vlad's sweaty fingers wrapped around Tucker's and my hands.

"Y-you can't!" Danny pleaded.

"I can, and I will," Skulker argued. I wanted to defend Danny. I wanted to punch Skulker into the end of his afterlife. I wanted to, but I couldn't move. I was frozen in terror and rage. Tucker made no movements beside me, and Vlad made no effort to defend or offend anything.

"Please! I'll do anything! Just leave them alone!" Danny begged.

"Who should I kill first? The goth girl, the best friend or the old man? Or should I kill them all with one swipe? Yes, that must be the way," Skulker decided. This couldn't be happening.

"No!" Danny cried. Suddenly, he clattered to the ground. I wanted to reach out and help him. I couldn't. I didn't want to make things worse. Then Danny looked up and he stared into my eyes. I gave him a small, sad smile. Then he shook his head. Why did he do that? I turned my attention towards Skulker as he lifted his blade.

"He loves you, Sam," Tucker announced quietly. Tucker didn't know how happy and devastated those four little words made me.

I loved Danny, too. I always have. He's more amazing than anyone could probably imagine. He kind, shy, sweet, caring, clumsy in that cute way, protective and strong. When I say strong, I don't just mean he has muscles. I mean he endures a lot and never cries out. He does that so that everyone else won't feel guilty or worried. He always thinks about how his actions affect the world.

I was devastated because I knew that now Danny would never get the chance to tell me that little bit of information for himself. We would never have a real first kiss. We would never go to any school dances together. We would never have the chance to get married and have kids.

I squeezed Tucker's hand. It was more to acknowledge that I had heard what he had said because I couldn't find the words to speak. This was really the end. We were going to die. We were going to be chopped into little pieces, and Danny would have to watch.

Then Danny did the most amazing thing. He swiftly placed his palms flat on the ground, kicked his legs out so he looked like he was doing a push up and stood up! He stood up! Danny's eyes turned vibrant green.

"Leave," he began. He took a shaky step forward. His face was so full of rage that I couldn't even say anything. My mouth just dropped open and I sat there and stared.

"Them," he continued. His head tilted to the side a little. I glanced up at Skulker. Skulker face showed no signs of recognition that Danny was doing anything of importance. I quickly covered my face with my arms and his green blade swung down towards us.

"ALONE!" Danny screamed as he used his ghostly howl on Skulker. Skulker's face was priceless. He spun around to face Danny, but he was quickly thrown back and out the window. He muttered something and dissolved into nothing. I lowered my arms and turned to look at Danny.

He was on the ground now. His arms stuck out at some odd angles, nothing to be worried about. He had collapsed backwards and fallen on top of his legs before falling on to his side. His face looked drained. In fact, his face looked much paler than usual.

"Danny!" I screamed. I frantically examined the net. When Skulker had swung the blade, he had accidentally cut a small part of the net open. I grabbed onto that tear and ripped it apart so that I could just barely fit through. I scrambled out of the net and rushed to Danny's side. Tucker and Vlad quickly followed behind.

I quickly put my fingers to Danny's neck and wrist, feeling for a pulse. I couldn't seem to find one! I started panicking like crazy. I ran my fingers up into my hair and started to pull on it. I started hyperventilating. I froze when suddenly Vlad pulled me into a hug.

"Little girl, I am sure Daniel is fine. Let me check him. You are too flustered to think. Let me take you upstairs so you can take a nap," Vlad suggested. I didn't want Vlad touching me. I don't even like it when my own parents touch me.

"Let go of me," I ordered. Vlad didn't respond.

"Well, I guess whatever works with Daniel doesn't always work with his friends," he sighed. Vlad and Danny had hugged? That is creepy on so many levels. Vlad pulled away from me, and I saw Tucker.

He had taken off his beret and was holding it tightly to his chest. He was kneeling over Danny. He looked so afraid and worried. We all were, but Tucker let it show.

Vlad moved to Danny and did exactly what I had done. He sat patiently for a good two minutes. Then he gave out a sad sigh.

"Little Badger, no. You can't leave them. They need you," Vlad whispered. He picked Danny up in his arms and carried him out of the room. I followed him. Wherever he was taking Danny, was were I would go. Tucker followed timidly behind me. We followed Vlad up three flights of stairs. Then Vlad placed Danny on a nice bed in a pretty elegant room.

"Is Danny going to be...okay?" Tucker asked nervously.

"May I have a moment alone with Daniel?" Vlad requested instead of answering. I shrugged and pulled Tucker out of the room. Vlad was going to do something, and strangely, I trusted him. I don't know if it was the hug or the gentle way that Vlad carried Danny, but I suddenly trusted him.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Tucker argued.

"Letting Vlad do his job. Apparently he has taken it upon himself to take care of Danny. We just have to wait," I claimed. So that's what we did. We sat down at the railing above the stairways and waited. Eventually, Vlad came out with a small smile on his face.

"Daniel will be fine. Using a lot of power when you're weak can make your ghostly side become more dominant in an effort to restore your energy and heal any wounds," Vlad clarified. So Danny was just taking a ghost nap? That made me feel safer.

"Do you mind if we stay and make sure he's okay when he wakes up?" I asked.

"Actually, I would prefer it. I don't mind at all and I would like to get to know you two. Danny is so fond of you. I want to fully understand his reasoning," Vlad responded.

"Reasoning? What reasoning does a kid have to having friends?" Tucker commented. I elbowed him. Back talking Vlad wasn't something I felt like doing. Vlad was trying to be nice. He just thinks a little differently than most people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Do you think of Vlad as a pure villain, or would you say he's more morally grey?


	14. Chapter 14

**Danny's POV**

"Skulker, Sam, Tucker, Vlad!" I screamed and fell out of bed again. It was dark outside my window, telling me that I had been out for a while. I frantically examined my surrounding. Where were Sam, Tucker and Vlad? Were they okay? Is Skulker still here?

"Danny!" Came an excited cry from outside. The door swung open with Vlad in front and Sam and Tucker right behind him.

"You're okay!" Sam screamed. She threw herself forward and hugged me. Then she pulled back and stared into my eyes for a moment. Next, she grabbed my cheeks and kissed me!

"Sam!" I gave a surprised gasp when she let go. Tucker just started laughing. Vlad gave a small smile. What was going on?

"I love you so much, Danny! Don't ever scare me like that again!" Sam lectured. I just sat there wide-eyed. What was I supposed to say to that? The girl of my dreams just told me that she loved me!

"I..." I stuttered trying to come up with an answer to give her.

"Sam, I think you killed him," Tucker joked.

"Haha," Sam replied sarcastically. She smiled and stared at me intently. I don't even know what I did. I just grabbed her cheeks and pulled her into another kiss. Vlad and Tucker cheered.

"Danny?" Sam gasped. I hugged her. How was I going to explain everything to my mom? Not only had I been kidnapped and attacked by a ghost, I had also kissed Sam twice! This was awesome!

"Daniel, I'm so glad you're alright," Vlad interrupted me and Sam's little moment.

"I don't feel like anything happened to me. Why are you so worried?" I inquired. Tucker and Vlad approached us.

"Dude, you turned pale as a ghost after that ghostly wail," Tucker explained.

"Pale as a ghost. Good one," I replied sarcastically. Sam laughed this time.

"Daniel, you can walk," Vlad announced.

"I can?" I practically yelled. I grabbed the side of the bed and slowly lifted myself up. When I was standing all the way up, I let go of the bed and took a small step forward.

"You can also go ghost," Tucker added. I grinned. The white rings appeared around my waist and traveled up my body. My hair turned from black to white. My eyes turned from blue to green.

"YES!" I yelled. I was back to normal! I could go home now! I grabbed Sam's arms and kissed her. Then I hugged Vlad. Finally, I gave Tucker a high five.

"It was nice to see you, Little Badger," Vlad smiled. He knew that I was going to leave now.

"Bye, Vlad," I grinned. I gave him another hug. Then I grabbed Sam and Tucker by their waists.

"See ya!" Tucker and Sam cried.

"I'll come and visit!" I declared. Vlad's smile grew even more and he waved. I took off and phased trough the roof.

"Are you sure you should be flying so soon?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I feel amazing. I haven't felt this good since before I had my powers," I stated.

"It's really dark outside. We should get home," Tucker commented.

"I'll drop you guys off. I want to talk to my parents alone," I requested. Sam and Tucker nodded. I dropped Tucker off in his room first because his house was closest. Then I flew Sam to her house.

"Danny, wait," Sam called as I started to fly away. I flew back and landed on her window sill.

"Yes, Sam?" I asked.

"Our kisses... What were those?" She asked quietly.

"They were real. Sam, I love you with all of my heart. I can't imagine life without you," I admitted. Sam grabbed my wrist and pulled me into her room.

"I love you for real, too!" She smiled. Smiling is something that Sam has never been known to do often. When she smiled, my whole world lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Sam, you are amazing," I complimented.

"I'm nothing special. You're the one with the ghost powers," She retorted.

"Ghost powers don't make me who I am. They were added. You're special because you don't need to ghost powers. I love you because of you," I grinned. She pulled me into another kiss.

"Thank you!" She beamed.

"I have to go. I love you, bye!" I declared sadly. Sam's smile grew the tiniest bit smaller. She gave a small wave and flew out the window again.

I changed back to Danny near my house. When I rounded the corner and started towards Fenton Works, I saw three police cars pulled up out front. They had called the police? I guess it could have already been twenty-four hours... I noticed my mom standing on the front steps. Her face was buried in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking from crying so uncontrollably.

"Mom!" I called. She looked up and glanced around before her purple eyes rested on me.

"Danny!" She screamed. She jogged down the steps and slid across the good of a police car. I tried to jog, but I guess I still had a bit of a limp. My mom got to me fairly quickly.

"Where have you been?" She breathed and she pulled me into a tight hug.

"It's a really long story. I'm just so glad to be home," I sighed.

"You are in so much..." She started to rant.

"I know, mom. Please ground me! Please! I need at least two months! And take away all of my electronics! Here's my phone. I need to get started on my extra chores huh? I'm going to clean the dishes for two weeks, do the laundry for a month, clean the lab everyday and vacuum the hall. No, that's not enough. What else should I do mom?" I questioned as I looked up at her. Her eyes were wide and bewildered.

"You want to be grounded? And do chores? My baby boy, what did they do to you?" She gasped. She pulled me back into her hug. I smiled to myself.

"Danny-boy!" My dad cried. He practically threw himself at my mom and I.

"Jack, he asked to be punished," my mom whispered to my dad. My dad stared down at me.

"Who are you and what have you done with my son?" He growled as he leaned into my face.

"I am your son. I just live you so much, and I made you worry. I deserve to be grounded and do extra chores. Also, my grades are in the toilet! I need to start studying and working hard if I want to get into a good college," I explained. My parents paled and just stared at me for a long time.

"Jasmine, something is wrong with your brother," my mom called. She didn't even take her eyes off of me.

"Danny?" Jazz wailed as she flew out the front door. Only I can actually fly. She just moved really quickly. Jazz was by my side in seconds, checking me for injuries.

"Jazz, he wants to be grounded, do extra chores and go to college," my mom claimed. Jazz laughed.

"Little brother, what crazy ideas are you giving our parents! Let's get you inside," she suggested. She steered me inside the living room. My mom and dad followed right behind. A few police officers were in the house.

"Haha, they found me!" I called. The officers looked at me.

"We're glad that you're safe. I think we can let your parents take it from here," One officer declared. The officers exited the building and drive away.

"Danny, where were you?" My mom finally asked.

"I wasn't feeling very good, so I kinda ignored that I had just been grounded and snuck out the window to the park. There was this accident, and I ended up getting kidnapped by this gang. Then Vlad was there and he totally saved me. He took me back to his mansion, and this big ghost attacked. Vlad and I managed to fend him off. Then Vlad let me come back," I retold the half truths of the story.

"You were kidnapped?" My mom asked.

"By a gang?" Jazz added.

"And there was a ghost?" My dad questioned. Suddenly my whole family came forward and wrapped me in a big hug. I smiled. Everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What did you think? Please tell me whether you enjoyed this and what you liked! I've grown a lot since writing this, but I still remember my beginnings fondly. :)

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry.
> 
> I wrote this in middle school; I had never heard of fanfiction, and this was one of the first fics I ended up posting on Fanfiction.net, long, long ago. I have learned much since then, but I alternated character POVs every chapter, which may be what I'm apologizing for the most.
> 
> I hope you're still able to enjoy the story, and I'll be impressed if you get all the way to the end!
> 
> QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Have you ever been hunting or fishing? I have shot a gun exactly once, at a tree. I liked shooting the gun, but I would rather do it in a shooting range, where I'm not afraid of shooting someone's eye out.


End file.
